Visual Arts cultivates thinking, innovation and collaboration which are skills that are required in many careers and businesses in the 21st century, where creative thinking, is an increasing necessity. This subject is aimed at the pupil who is creative and imaginative - someone who is interested in exploring, developing and realizing creative ideas, and experimenting with materials, techniques and processes. This pupil must be curious and have a passion for Art and be willing, and able, to manage their time effectively, in order to meet deadlines. An interest in other artists and their work is a pre-requisite, as the study of Art History forms a major part of this subject.

The Hilton College Visual Arts Department envisages:

A plan for our pupils by enabling them to achieve their potential by providing the tools to become independent thinkers and harness their Creativity, develop Innovation, and cultivate Critical Thinking and Problem Solving skills through:

The 21st Century Skills Map defines the ways in which 13 skills are present and encourages broader thinking about the variety of ways that arts learning takes place, including and beyond the acquisition of the technical skills and abilities of a particular discipline.

21st Century Skills

Arts Education

Critical Thinking Problem Solving

Students use various types of reasoning to think and reflect critically and solve problems in both conventional and innovative ways

Communication

Students communicate in a variety of contexts through various artistic media and technologies to convey their own ideas and interpret others.

Collaboration

Students work together effectively and respectfully to flexibly share responsibility, compromise on diverse ideas, and accomplish common goals.

Creativity

Studends draw on a variety of sources to generate, evaluate, and select creative ideas to turn into personally meaningful products.

Innovation

Students investigate new processes, implement creative ideas, and revisit traditional ideas to create new and reinterpret existing works of visual and performing arts.

Information Literacy

Students access and evaluate information from a variety of sources accurately and creatively with an understanding of ethical and legal issues.

Media Literacy

Students analyse and use media to understand how and why messages are created and interpreted and how media inflences culture, beliefs and behaviour.

Information Communication Technology Literacy

Students use technology effectively to research, access, create, and communicate creative ideas and information with an understanding of ethical and legal issues.

Flexibility Adaptability

Students are flexible and adapt to change in a variety of artistic contexts.

Initiative Self-Direction

Students are motivated, self-directed and reflective learners who independently manage their goals and time to continuously improve as artists.

Social Skills Cross-Cultural

Students work respectfully and effectively with socially and culturally diverse teams or content to increase innovation and quality in their own work.

Productivity Accountability

Students set goals, accept responsibility, and refine the quality of their work toward high standards of excellence and accountability.

Leadership Responsibility

Students use the arts to inspire others, optimizing the skills of team members through their interpersonal awareness, integrity, and ethical leadership to solve problems that benefit the larger community.

In line with local (IEB) and international Visual Arts standards, we cover a broad field of creative practice that involves the conceptualising and making of two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects which reflect the aesthetic, conceptual and expressive concerns of individuals or groups.

The subject offers pupils a way to meaningfully engage with and respond to their world. The subject is divided into 2 components:

CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS FOR MATRIC:

1.PRACTICAL - Pupils will develop a coherent body of work (PORTFOLIO). Practical provides opportunities to stimulate and develop the learners’ intellect and to engage their creative imagination through visual and tactile experiences and the innovative use of materials and technology in the realisation of their ideas.

PRACTICAL DISCIPLINES: Learners must do Drawing and choose to specialise in one of the following practical disciplines, or to study a combination of these disciplines:

In Grade 10 the pupils are introduced to a variety of mediums and subject matter, with an emphasis on drawing skills. The pupils will select this discipline at the end of Grade 11 and develop a portfolio over 2 years.

VISUAL DIARY - The learners must document the progression of each artwork in a work book called a Visual Diary. This will form part of their Final Assessment.

PORTFOLIO - This is a coherent body of work which will be assessed at the end of each year.

2. THEORY - Pupils will develop an individual visual language, which is in turn informed by the visual culture of the past and present. VISUAL CULTURE STUDIES (Art History) will focus on the study of International and South African Art (Painting, Sculpture and Architecture).

This study and application of historical and contemporary concepts/practices encourages the student to explore, identify and justify future career paths. As the world becomes more visual many new arts careers are emerging. However, careers pursued need not necessarily be purely art-based but interdisciplinary (Architecture, Bio-Mimicry, Game Design & Development etc.)

Visual Arts has contemporary relevance for both one’s self and others and cultivates an appreciation for and tolerance of diversity in today’s world.

This provides opportunities for developing relationships with Community and Outreach Programs (Lunch Box Fund).

Ongoing professional development of staff expands a deep content and skills knowledge base to further enhance learning experiences of students and staff. This allows us to maintain our position as leaders in Visual Arts at a high school level.

"Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking how no one else has thought."